SEQUEL TO: ORDINARY WORLD
SUMMARY: Conner and Krista spend some time alone with each other.
DISCLAIMER: Power Rangers is not mine. The only things I actually own are Mindshatter, Dinoshade and the cybots. Yes! So, I do own some of the disclaimer. Ha. Ha. But, I also own the rights of how this series will end and how it won't. I just like to take the characters and make my own adventure out of them.
A/N: Thanks for all the support and the help to make this series that much of a success. I just wish it could be seen by more people. But, I guess that's my fault for not having something that doesn't catch that many eyes. Since I had a little thing going on with Trent and Kira, I might as well pull in Conner and Krista, too. I hope you guys like it. See you in the limelight. Read and review until you get tired of me, aiight?
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"There are some things I wish I could tell you about me, but I do not know how to say it without giving too much away. If I said too much, it could destroy everything we have already built. And I really don't want to lose that."-Eclyptyk Neo
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After school. January 20th, 2005.
Conner knew that Ethan would be hanging out at the cyber cafe on a usual note since practice for the dance team had been re-scheduled. He didn't have a clue what Kira and Trent were up to except that he knew that they were gonna hang out for the afternoon.
In the back of his mind, as he drove through the city of Reefside, he had almost thought he had a thing going with Kira. But somehow, it never could get off to a good start for a relationship to happen. He didn't say he was jealous that Trent had won her over in the end, even if he knew they weren't onto the dating factor quite yet. He just knew that he would have to keep them in check when it came to saving the world while balancing out the rest of the things going on in their life.
But that was the problem, it was hard to keep them in check when he had to keep himself in check, too. At times, he knew he would push a little too far with Krista, but that was never his intention. He was finally with a girl who managed to crack him open like an egg. He never would have thought she could look beyond his jock image, but she did. And on many occasions, they were inseparable. Everyone at school knew they were a couple.
When he felt a hand wrap around his on the clutch of his car, it shot him back into reality. He looked over at the person sitting in the passenger seat, and smiled. Krista smiled back as he took a street leading into the outskirts of town.
They had planned the afternoon to spend some time together in reserve of no disturbance. A nice place in the cove where they could take in each other's company without having others nag on them.
Conner had to admit, he never expected to be showing off some PDA (Public Display of Affection) at school, but somehow it would be. Between passing periods, he would race to her class and offer to carry her books and escort her to her next class. She never said she didn't appreciate it, but somehow when she was around him, it was only the two of them. At lunch, they would sit close, his arms wrapped around her in a way that made it clear no one would get near her without going through him. But that was the thing, the only time he ever really got to see her in his day was at the beginning of school, between classes, at lunch and after school. He had no classes with her, and it was slightly discouraging. They would hold hands as they walked through the halls, and had a few make-out sessions in the parking lot after school, when time permitted.
She had volunteered at the local animal shelter, time and time again. A few times he would join her, but never really had the charm with the animals as she did. But, he was only doing it spend time with her.
Conner had to admit to himself that he never really felt this way about someone. There was a feeling there that felt more than just a little puppy love or a crush. It felt stronger than what he had felt when he was hoping to hook up with Kira. At first, he had wanted to go out with Krista more for her looks, but when they got to know each other better, see how deep she really was, it made him admire her even more.
They had arrived at the cove as Conner raced out of the car and over to the passenger side to open the door and escort her out. Krista would blush every time he would try to impress her with gentleman-like gestures. Many times, he was clumsy about it, but she was glad he could laugh off his mistakes and move on.
They walked onto the dirt path that would take them down into the cove. Conner pulled her close to him as a breeze came in.
"Are you cold?" Conner asked as she clung to him as a gust took them by surprise.
Krista shook her head as the area became calm again. "No. I'm fine. I like the cool breeze."
Conner managed a smile as a laid a kiss on her forehead and they continued on down the path. He could hear the waves come crashing into the shore, but that was it. There were no sounds of other cars, people, or the disruptions of the city. He knew he had picked the right spot, getting advice from Dr. Oliver about where nice places would be to hang out with a girl, alone in private.
They took a seat on a rock where the sand met the grass of the cove looking out into the ocean. The waves crashed against the shore quietly. The seem of salt from the sea filled their noses as Conner wrapped his arms around her. Krista melted into his embrace as she laid her head on his shoulder.
"It's so beautiful out here," Krista commented.
"Yeah, well, I kinda got some help from Dr. Oliver about finding a perfect spot to hang out," Conner admitted slightly embarrassed about it. He was never known for getting advice from others about a girl's needs, but he had so many things to worry about that he forgot how simple a date can be.
"I've noticed you've been getting a lot of advice from him lately," she said as she turned her head to look at him. "I thought for a jock of your status wouldn't need it."
Conner sighed as he shrugged. "Yeah, well. It's been a rather rough year."
"It's barely started and you're saying it's been hard. Is it because of me?" Krista hoped it wasn't, knowing they were become more and more attached as the weeks went by.
Conner shook his head as he laid a kiss on her forehead. "No, it's not you. Of course not. Without you, I don't think I would be thinking straight at all."
"Oh, that's sweet," she sat up and laid a kiss on his lips.
Conner had remembered the first time they had shared a kiss.
It was actually on Christmas Eve when he had asked her out. They were hanging out on her front pouch because she didn't want to leave her family. She had spared some time to talk, and that's when her asked her out. And to their dismay, they were sitting under a mistletoe when the whole thing went down. It was a simple kiss, but when he had found his hands around her back and neck, the kiss had went just a little deeper. And that's when the sparks flew. And it was the only indicator he needed to tell him, they were going out.
Krista pulled away for a second, but he stopped her and leaned in to lay a kiss on her lips. They sat there, smiling as they seem to melt just by looking into the eyes of the other.
"I never got a chance to ask you how you managed to say 'yes' to me about me wanting to be your boyfriend," he wanted to know. Out of all the times they did hang out, they would talk about the latest movies coming out, or some rumor going on in Hollywood. Yet, Krista couldn't stand to hear the rumors going around school.
"Well, you said that people can change if you give them a chance to," Krista said as she smiled again. "I gave you that chance, and you really aren't what people say about you."
"Being a typical jock," he concluded. "At least you can look beyond me being a jerk sometimes. I don't do it on purpose."
Krista laughed as she laid another kiss on his lips. "Just being a jock."
"Not all the time," he protested slightly hurt by her comment.
"I know, Conner. But you can be sometimes. Like with Kira and Trent," she stated.
Many times when he had seen Kira and Trent hanging out in the halls, he would badger them for not acting like a real couple in love. Krista would tell him to stop, always taking their side because he would manage to make it public.
"Well, if they would stop stalling and just go on with it, I wouldn't," he said. "I've noticed those two look at each other in a way that was well beyond a friendship and they haven't done anything about it."
"Because maybe they don't want to destroy the friendship they've already created. Maybe because they want to take things slow and wait for the perfect time to do it," she said.
Conner knew he couldn't win that battle against her. She always saw it their way. He would try to convince her otherwise, but it never worked. He sighed and dropped his head, trying to find something else to talk about. "Tomorrow's Friday. Want to do anything?"
Krista shrugged. "What did you have in mind?""Well, I don't know. I know there's this nice Italian restaurant downtown that just opened up. Maybe we can go check it out. Or perhaps a movie."
"Dinner would be nice," she thought for a moment. But groaned when she remember something. "Oh man, I forgot, I volunteered at the animal shelter tomorrow."
"Not a problem. I could come and pick you," he offered with a smile.
"I'm gonna smell like a dog kennel," she said.
"Then we'll drop by your house and you can clean up. Then, I'll treat you to some dinner," he concluded.
Krista had to agree to that, knowing most of the offers he made, she could manage to deal with. And that's what she liked about him. He managed to work around another's schedule and make plans that would work out between the two of them. They were about to share another kiss when Conner yawned.
"Have you not been getting any sleep again?" Krista asked slightly upset and concerned. "I told you we shouldn't be talking into the late hours on a school night."
But that was the thing. Conner wasn't sure if it was those nights when they would just talk on the phone, or something else. The sleepless nights started way back when that Mindshatter guy showed up. For a moment, he could feel the anger for losing that first battle against their newest threat. And that was the problem, too, Mindshatter hadn't struck lately. It had him worried when he would and the time he spent with Krista would be cut short.
He never told her what he would do beyond soccer, hanging out with friends, spending time with her and doing school work. And now, with this new threat in town, he felt it was jeopardizing their relationship. He felt like it may not go anywhere if he had to come up with multiple excuses to why he can't see her because he had a city to save. He really wanted to tell her, but knew the restrictions around telling others who he was and who he wasn't.
He even remembered way back in the beginning of Senior Year, when Zeltrax had returned and he was trying to start a relationship with Krista, it was hard. Then Zeltrax had kidnapped her and Conner had went after them, and that was when she had seen him in suit, but never knew who he was. And when he had tapped into a whole new power he knew as the Battlizer. And he understood the passion needed to really be a ranger. It was then that his feelings for Krista were growing and he wanted to know more about her. But in the back of his mind, he could not tell her who really saved her that day. She only knew that the Red Ranger was there to rescue her, and he had left it like that.
Now, with this new threat, and they were really a couple, it would be hard to adapt to a new lifestyle. He was dating someone out of the Ranger circle, and it was slightly forsaken because most relationships outside of it never lasted that long.
Krista looked over at him, running her hand down his face as he turned to look at her. She looked at him with great concern. "Is everything okay?"
Conner sighed as he dropped his eyes. He wanted to tell her so bad. Some of their conversations was centered around the Power Rangers. And so many times, he would feel his stomach churn because he wasn't sure if he was gonna burst and blurt out what he knew about them. It was centered around who they were, and what encounters they had with the multi-colored crime-fighters.
"I guess I'm a little stressed out about having some crazy lunatic wanting to rule the world again. I really thought we were out of it," he said.
"Yeah, well, we got the Power Rangers here to protect us," she said reassuring him with a kiss. "I bet they're coming up with a plan to bring him down right now."
They are. If they had more information. Conner thought to himself. He was glad he could just call her up to relay all thoughts about being a failure, but sometimes, it just didn't cut it. He didn't like to lose. He hated to lose. "Yeah, they probably are."
"I just can't help but wonder who they really are. Hasn't that thought ever crossed your mind?" Krista asked looking off into the ocean, recalling the day she had encountered the Red DT Ranger.
Conner felt his stomach churn with uneasiness. "Oh, no. Not at all. I mean, they probably don't want people to know who they are to avoid the publicity."
"Well, the least we could do, even as a city, is hold some sort of celebration for all of their hard work," she stated, feeling she could owe them so much. "They've done so much to make sure this city doesn't turn into a ghost town."
"I'm sure they appreciate that. But maybe we should wait until after this guy packs his bags before giving them a celebration," he said as he felt the sinking feeling in his stomach increase.
Krista looked at him, seeing his pain and sweaty face. It almost looked like he had seen a ghost. She turned to look at him better as she laid a kiss on his lips, caressing his face. "Are you sure you're okay, baby?"
Conner nodded his head as he forced air back into his lungs. He could not crack like this. It would be the worse thing to ever happen to him. He was apart of a long line of red rangers, of leaders. So many times, he had doubted his place on the team, especially as the leader. But, he saw that the color had fit his teammates well. It was him. He wasn't sure if he felt like he was a real leader if he had so much doubt. But Dr. Oliver had reassured him and told him time and time again that uncertainty came like second nature to a red ranger, to any ranger.
"I'm okay," he said quietly. "It could just be all the salty smell in the air. I don't come by the ocean much."
"You know, you're gonna have to conquer your fears about the water soon enough," Krista said, making only one conclusion to his sickness.
"It's not that I don't like the ocean. Or the water. It's great. Just not something I would like to sink my feet into, ya know," he said shaking his head.
"Why are you so afraid of the water?" she grew rather curious.
Anytime Krista had asked her a question about his life, he never found it in his heart to lie. Well, except for the one thing he held more dear. His secret identity as a Power Ranger. He did manage to tell her a few things he never would have thought he could tell anyone. He kept a lot inside, as much as it didn't show sometimes, he did. "Well, it happened when I was really young. I was four. And we were on one of those family retreats to the mountains for the summer. I was hanging out on the dock with my brother, Eric. We were wrestling on the dock like most brothers would and we fell into the water. My brother re-surfaced, kicking and screaming. But I never came up. I tried to, but I had gotten caught in something and couldn't get out. I saw my life flash before me, and I blacked out. When I awoke, I was all snug by the fireplace. My dad was the one who saved me, and after that I just kinda never went near the water again. I was too afraid I wouldn't come up again."
It fell silent as Krista pulled him into a comforting hug. He knew he never told anyone about that, but somehow he could spill almost anything to her. She was there to listen to him, comfort him and tell him that things would be okay.
"You know they say you never really quite appreciate life until you really experience the thrills of it," Krista said. "And I know I never said this, but I was really scared that day that Zeltrax kidnapped me. I really thought no one would come after me, but when the Red Ranger rescued me, I was so grateful. I just never got the chance to say 'thank you' to him. Or I may not have really gotten the chance to know who you really were, Conner."
Conner managed a smile. Out of all the times she would bring up the Red Ranger, it felt like she favored the guy in the suit over him. Even, if it was him. But when she had said that, it felt like some of the burden left him. That he didn't have to be jealous that she favored 'him' in the ranger suit over just him. Conner leaned over and laid a passionate kiss on her lips. "Yeah, well, I think he would say it was no problem and that he was just doing his job. I can admit I was a little scared myself when you went to the tree sight when I knew it wasn't a good idea."
"I should have listened to you," she admitted.
"But that's the thing I like about you, Krista. You had so much passion for something like that, and it kinda made me look back at my own life. It made me look at the types of passion I had."
"Like soccer?" she said with a smile.
He nodded. That was his passion and way to get rid of all of the stress. But that wasn't the only thing. With her around, he was capable of focusing on his school work more and made sure he ended his high school career on a strong note. "And you, Krista. I don't think I ever really met a girl who was willing to help me out with my grades and make sure I don't fail any one of my classes. Most girls can't seem to look past my good looks and slip right along with me."
Krista couldn't help but laugh at his comment. And it made him laugh. Sometimes, she never could understand his humor, but liked it because it made him smile. She laid another kiss on his lips. "Just looking out for you. I'd hate to hear you won't be graduating because you failed one of your classes."
"Well, thanks for putting up with me," he said as he pulled her closer to him.
Krista smiled again as she gave him another kiss, and sunk into his embrace as they looked out at the ocean. The cool breeze came to close off the afternoon as the sun was running its course to the end of the day.
to be continued...
A/N: Okay, so there's a little date with Conner and Krista. It's kinda hard to work with a character though that didn't get a whole lot of air time, but I guess that's where the array of fanfiction comes in. I hope you liked it. It ain't much, and I'm all out of romantic juices at the moment. So, we'll be seeing some more action in the next few chapters. See you when I do. And may the powers always protect you.